Proceedings 2002/2003 - IRSE

124
AUSTRALASIAN SECTION
dangerous situations, swinging surfboards and fishing
rods around, I have seen golfers swinging clubs
on the platforms where there are overhead power
wires.
Customer care has to be an issue in a marketing
effort.
Mr M Duffy moved a vote of appreciation to Mr
Devencorn.
Technical papers were presented by:
Mr Victor Abbott MIRSE, Project Manager,
Foxboro Transportation, Invensys Rail Systems.
“Safety in the Middle”.
SCADA systems are rarely relied on to provide
against high risk hazards, but are frequently used to
contribute to the management of hazardous situations.
The system vendor must take into account the
environment in which the system is to be deployed,
consider the availability of other hazard defence
mechanisms, and engineer a cost effective solution.
Mr Alex Borodin AMIRSE, Queensland Rail.
“Management of SPADS in QR – The Challenge of
Building on Success”.
SPAD Management in QR is one component of a
radical suite of risk-based Safety Management
Policies and Standards that have changed the face
of safety management.
QR introduced its SPAD Reduction Strategy
during the 1996/97 financial year. Since that time,
significant reductions have been achieved to QR’s
risk profile with only small infrastructure investments
being required.
Passenger train infringements were reduced from
7.74 SPADS per million train kilometres in 1995/96 to
3.53 in 2001/02, a reduction 54% in six years.
Mr Geoff Meers, Queensland Transport. “Road
Safety Management in Queensland”.
There are over 1,700 road fatalities each year
across Australia, with 323 in Queensland last year.
Other transport industries only have around 40
fatalities per year.
In spite of continuing large increases in the
number of vehicles and licensed drivers, road tolls
have decreased steadily since the 1970s.
These improvements are due to a range of initiatives
in the three Es: engineering, enforcement and
education.
There were ongoing improvements in road safety
through the 70s and 80s, but the 1992-2001
National Road Safety Strategy provided a national
framework for the introduction of number of road
safety initiatives, with Qld developing its first action
plan in 1996.
Mr Scott Riedel, Manager Trackside Systems,
Regional and Systems Support, QR. “QR
Maintenance: A New Direction”.
In response to customer expectations of reduced
costs and increased safety, set against a backdrop
of an increasingly litigious society, Trackside
Systems has established a framework for maintenance
which it hopes can meet or exceed customer
requirements, while detailing a process which
demonstrates a duty of care.
The framework QR has adopted is one of competency
based training and assessment combined
with a maintenance regime consisting of a comprehensive
suite of defined maintenance tasks and
ongoing asset condition and performance review.
Mrs Sandra Karrasch AMIRSE, Signal Engineer,
QR. “The Challenge of Organising an IRSE Exam
Study Group”.
This paper explores the requirements for signalling
engineers to gain the knowledge to pass an IRSE
exam.
Ranging from what should be studied, when
lessons should be held, what worked and what did
not.
To the benefits gained by prospective candidates
and their value to QR with the increase of signalling
knowledge gained from senior presenters.
The lessons learnt from the first two years will benefit
those who decide to continue next year. There
will always be improvements to the processes and
presentations but that is part of the learning experience.
Mr Les Brearley FIRSE, Manager, Systems Safety
and Quality, Union Switch & Signal Pty Ltd.
“Developing a Railway Signalling Course for
Australia – Update on CRC Progress”.
The need for a locally based course, particularly
for signal engineering was recognised by the
Australasian Section of the IRSE and proposals were
sought during 2001 from local universities to provide
such a programme.
In parallel the Co-operative Research Centre for
Engineering & Technologies (Rail CRC) was also
established.
Following an industry forum in August 2001, it was
clear the Rail CRC was gaining momentum and the
IRSE decided to join with them in establishing a
signalling course for Australia rather than initiating a
separate course.
The first project to gain approval in Theme Six was
Project 60 – Continuing Professional Development
modules for railway signalling and telecommunications
engineers and technologists.
The vision for Rail CRC is to provide nationally
accepted professional development courses for
railway engineering.
Panel Session: Chaired by Mr Les Brearley.
Does a Safety Management System manage
safety or liability?
What is the role of signalling in a safety management
system?
Panel: Messrs Warwich Allison, Signal Design
Manager, RIC; Dale Coleman, Group Managing
Director, TMG International; Graeme Silvester,
Manager Workplace Health and Safety, QR.
Mike Duffy spoke in appreciation of all speakers.
Saturday 3rd August
The morning site inspection was to Invensys Rail